Inline Process Refractometer in Large Scale Juice Concentrate Production

Fruit juice concentration enables companies to transport their goods more efficiently and extend their shelf life. Concentration manufacturing begins with a dilute feedstock juice and concentrates it by removing water. Water removal occurs using special equipment created specifically for the concentration process. Almost every fruit that is commercially harvested can be juiced or concentrated. 

While extracting fruit juice varies according to the form, size, and nature of the fruit, the steps are the same; juice extraction, filtering, and storage in main holding tanks before being supplied to an evaporator. When juice enters the evaporator, its concentration varies due to various natural variables. The objective of the concentration process is to eliminate this fluctuation and produce a uniform, consistent juice concentrate. Throughout the concentration process of fruit juice, solid components of the original fluid remain and get measured as a percentage of the liquid volume. 

Refractometers are precision instruments that determines the refractive index, or how much a light beam is "bent" when it travels through fruit juice. The angle of light bending is proportional to the concentration of solids. Sugars account for the majority of the soluble solids in fruit juice, along with other soluble components such as organic and amino acids, soluble pectins, and so on. 

On a larger scale, soluble solids concentration (SSC percent, degrees Brix) in juice production facilities is determined by strategically placing inline process refractometers throughout the process to monitor solids concentration and evaluate equipment performance and product quality. The output signals from the refractometers are used as inputs to the evaporators' command and control system, allowing feed rate to be closely matched to evaporation rate and maximizing the efficiency of the energy-consuming equipment. 

To learn more about the function of inline process refractometers in the manufacture of fruit and vegetable juice concentrates, contact Electron Machine Corporation at 352-669-3101 or visit their website at https://electronmachine.com.

The MPR E-Scan™

The MPR E-Scan™ is a rugged, industrialized, in-line process refractometer. It directly measures the refractive index of process fluids and then displays the reading in any number of customer-desired units (Brix, Percent Solids, Dissolved Solids, SGU, R.I., etc.). This reading may be used as an error indicator or part of a complete process control system. A high-resolution color display and a 4-20mA output is standard. HART® protocol, RS-232, and RS-422 outputs are available. Each sensing head is custom tailored and calibrated specifically for the desired process application to ensure the most accurate and useful reading. A simple 0-10Vdc signal is used to transmit the reading from the sensing head to the electronics console, ensuring a robust reading that has a minimal chance of being effected by interference. The entire package is NEMA 4X rated and designed and manufactured with the best materials for each application to provide years of trouble-free service with a minimum amount of maintenance.

Learn more at https://electronmachine.com or call 352-669-3101.

Inline, Realtime Analysis of Degrees Brix (°Bx) in Beverage Production

The beverage sector creates widely consumed goods while adhering to stringent quality standards. Producers of beverages are responsible for ensuring adequate quality and meet rising customer demands for innovative and consistent flavor. Reliable process control tools are required to make production viable and sustainable and maintain the highest levels of product quality. In this age of sophisticated technologies, it's essential for best practice manufacturing standards. 

The degree of Brix (°Bx) indicates the amount of sugar in an aqueous solution. One degree Brix equals one gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and suggests the solution's strength as a percentage of mass. Brix monitoring and measurement are critical for various beverages, whether dairy, brewery, wine, soft drinks, or fruit juices.

In the beverage and juice industry, syrups and concentrates are blended with water, or fermented, according to specific recipes, stored in stacking tanks, and finally filled into product-specific bottles or containers. A standard method for Brix testing is a manual process done in a remote lab with samples taken from the process. If a primary component, such as a juice concentrate, does not precisely meet the specifications, or if the blending process itself is incorrect due to incorrect flow control, the entire production run may be flawed. Cross-contamination is another concern. If a wrong product is mixed and bottled due to a poorly controlled phase transition, rejection of the whole batch is the outcome.  

The inline refractometer (a robust process control instrument) provides a highly reliable and precise measure of Brix in beverage production. Inline process refractometers are installed in the process piping and continuously measure the Brix value, constantly measuring the definition and differentiation of each product, component, juice, or beverage. 

The advantages are clear for choosing inline refractometers. The time-consuming and labor-intensive manual sampling and laboratory analysis are less efficient and less repeatable. The more efficient and reliable solution is the inline process refractometer. These devices offer real-time, inline continuous concentration measurement and cross-contamination protection. Additionally, operators can use their time to perform other critical activities, enabling other time-savings quality improvements.

Electron Machine Corporation
https://electronmachine.com
+1 352-669-3101

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MPR E-Scan™ - The World's Most Rugged In-line Process Refractometer

The Electron Machine MPR E-Scan™ inline process refractometer monitors and controls the concentration of dissolved solids in your process lines. The MPR E-Scan™ refractometer accurately measures your process's refractive index, providing temperature compensated readings that easily correlate to a, Brix, Percent Solids, Dissolved Solids, SGU, or R.I. scale.

Each sensing head is custom-tailored and calibrated precisely for the desired process application to ensure the most accurate and valuable reading. A simple 0-10Vdc signal transmits the reading from the sensing head to the electronics console, providing a reliable reading with little chance of interference. 

The entire package is NEMA 4X rated and built with the best materials for each application to provide years of trouble-free service with minimal maintenance. 

MPR E-Scan™ inline process refractometers from Electron Machine are industrialized, rugged, and hardened instruments that allow you to monitor and control dissolved solids' concentration continuously. Compared to manual sampling, Electron Machine inline process refractometers save time and money while improving accuracy and efficiency. Inline process refractometers directly connect to a PLC, HMI, or other data acquisition systems for easy plant integration.

Electron Machine

352-669-3101

https://electronmachine.com

Inline Process Refractometers for Pulp & Paper Mill Applications

Approximately 50 years ago, the Electron Machine Corporation became the first company to employ refractometers to precisely quantify the dissolved particles in black liquor. Our extensive experience with this application has resulted in several design characteristics specifically tailored to process measurement challenges in this demanding environment. For decades, the paper industry has also relied on Electron Machine refractometers to correctly measure green liquor solids in pulp and paper manufacturing.

Electron Machine

352-669-3101

https://electronmachine.com

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